My Relationship with Aerial, by Britt Johnson

Trilogy aerial yoga teacher training teacher, Brittany Johnson, shares how she found aerial and how it has changed her life...

I met Aerial about 8 years ago. Aerial didn't even know I existed, but I knew Aerial did.  We certainly had things in common, but I never thought we would develop such a long lasting relationship. 

Aerial has hurt, belittled, humbled and insulted me, but also, inspired, fulfilled and encouraged me.  But our relationship isn't as crazy as it sounds.  Aerial is a metaphor for my life.  

My life was ready for something new when Aerial and I first met.  I was ready to dedicate time and work into accomplishing ONE THING:  to get a photo of myself doing the splits in the air.  Could I do the splits?  No.  Could I do a pull up?  No.  Did I have an excellent camera?  No.  But ALL of these things were possible.  

It started with classes, then meeting friends, then training with my new friends.  Over time, Aerial began to give me bigger ideas and dreams.  

The goal of doing the splits in the air was still the number one priority, but what was happening was self-discovery.  Self-expression and therapy in the air.  I loved the challenge of balancing strength and grace while silently moving to my story.  I was able to release energy I didn't even know I had.  And along the way,  I gained the opportunity to perform and travel... AND get amazing pictures of me doing the splits in the air:-)

A few years later, the conversation I was having in the air started to fade.  The soul of Aerial and I became silent, and it made me question more than my craft.  It was time to evolve.  

Aerial didn't leave my life,  we simply took a break so we could keep each other healthy.  During my break, I started to find the more therapeutic side of using a hammock and quickly found Aerial Yoga.  After a yoga certification and finding a safe place to train, the path naturally formed.  I found expression, physical therapy and peace of mind AT THE SAME TIME using Aerial Yoga techniques!  It has been rewarding to combine all the knowledge I've absorbed over these last 8 years. 

 Aerial and I started a new version of ourselves, and I was able to dedicate time with new friends Hannahsita and Leila.  Together we dedicated time, knowledge, sweat and some secrets to create an Aerial Yoga manual we all believed in.  

 I'm thankful to Trilogy Sanctuary for encouraging and hosting my relationship with Aerial.  

Britt will be leading Trilogy's Spring Aerial Yoga Teacher Training along with Leila and Hannahsita. Learn more and apply soon because training begins April 27th!

Bliss in the Air - The Extreme of Grounding and Flying

By Hannahsita Smyth,

a Trilogy Sanctuary aerial yoga teacher 

The greatness of who you are, is directly related to how you tell your story. In order to tell your story, you have to know who you are. To know who you are, you have serve in society.

Mental : overcoming narratives and barrier limitations

Physical : working strength, stretching and body awareness

Spiritual : creating, surrendering, supporting, trusting, believing in yourself. (Being who you are, is the person you were, when you stopped being you).  To be a kid again understanding open space is needed.

I don’t believe in balance. I believe in counterbalance. Living life at the edges, so you have more range of motion for growth and discovery. Play with opposites. If you sit all day, then your movement practice must meet the opposite of your sitting practice. Find the edges of each extreme. Inactive to active. If you are stimulated and very busy on the computers all day, the body will be still and not wasting energy. So switch to the other extreme. Still the mind and get motion and movement into the body. The physical body and mental mind love the extremes.

We are all movement makers. Rediscover this edge. Live bigger through life with movement.

Hannahsita is a leader of our aerial yoga teacher training and our aerial kids program. She also teaches aerial yoga classes of all levels.

Theena Thao - Trilogy Sanctuary Yoga Teacher Highlight

Theena has been teaching at Trilogy since the beginning! We asked her a few questions to explore what makes her such a gem of a yoga and aerial yoga teacher...

What quote inspires your life and practice?

"Everywhere you go, there you are." -  I love this quote. It's a reminder for me to be where I am, that everything is where it should be, and that I am where I should be. In life or while practicing on my mat, this quote reminds me to stay present, breathe, and worry less. You can't have too many of these reminders as it's not an easy thing to do. And yet it is easy at the same time! When I read or say to myself, "Theena, everywhere you go, there you are", I feel a big rush of relief take over my body and I know for that moment I am okay. And so I repeat.

Who inspires you and why?

My mom is my number one inspiration. To me, she is the definition of a mother's love and sacrifice. I live a grateful life because of her. 

What has been one of your greatest experiences?

I was born in a small village in Vietnam and moved to California at the age of 6.  After graduating university, I worked for a year and was able to save up money to visit my far away family for the first time in 16 years. It was indescribable and similar to the feeling of connecting that last piece of puzzle. Home can be anywhere, but the motherland is a particularly special place because it's always in your heart. I hope to visit again very soon!

What words do you have to offer new yogis and aerial students?

I think it's important to keep it simple because often times less is more. Start small, take humble steps, and be kind to your body. When we are new to yoga, we tend to be critical of ourselves, and we focus on the "doing" rather than the "feeling". Which, to me, is completely normal because yoga can be intimidating in the west, sometimes even competitive. It's good to remember that yoga teachers can tell you how to align in a particular pose, but what you're "being" or "feeling", that's all up to you.

What is your biggest dream or aspiration?

I aspire to make this world a better place for all people. And also to inspire people to want to make this world a better place. I love the zero waste movement and although it's been challenging for me and progress has been slow, I continue to work at it and hope one day my choices align closer to this lifestyle.

Theena's Schedule:

Sunday 10:30am: Strength and Serenity 

Sunday 12pm: Aerial Restore Low Fabric

Thursday 7:30pm: Vinyasa

Friday 6pm: Vinyasa

Benefits of Inversion Therapy

What Is Inversion Therapy?

Inversion is the pose in which you hold your heart higher than your head. Inversion therapy helps your body to recover from the compressive effects of gravity and daily activities. Scientifically, it has been proven to be quite advantageous for cardiovascular, lymphatic, endocrine and nervous systems. In fact, inversion is a perfect exercise for the body as a whole.

What Are The Health Benefits of Inversion Therapy?

Inversions are so effective that the US Army is planning to include it in its physical training. You can achieve a lot of benefits by inverting 3-5 mins every day. One of the most shocking facts about inversion is that bats and sloths are the only creatures on earth who will never suffer from osteoarthritis. This is because inversion is in their natural habitat. So, if you have a family history of osteoarthritis, then make sure you start inverting from today.

Relieves Spinal Pain

One of the basic advantages of inversions is that it relieves spinal pain to a great extent. It enables a person to have a better posture. Since the spinal cord is the most important part of the body, which affects how the person sits and stands; inversion can help improve the outlook of a person.

Improves Blood Circulation

Inversions increase the blood flow to the brain, giving it more oxygen and nutrients and making the brain function faster and better. This improves concentration, memory, observation and boosts clear thinking. Standing inverted actually makes the brain work better. According to Dr. Robert Martin, the author of ‘The Gravity Guiding System, Turning the Aging Process Upside Down,’ the brain operates 14% more accurately when the brain is operating on an inverted, inclined plane. Inversion also helps move the stagnant blood in the body because you are standing against gravity when you are inverting. It forces the blood to move which would not do so standing in a straight position.

Controlling Indigestion

Inversions are the yogic approach to control indigestion. Indigestion, which may cause anxiety and skin disorders, is considerably improved when one practices inversions.

Decreasing Mood Swings

Standing upside down can actually make you feel better! When blood circulation gets fine, this releases neurotransmitters, balances the hormones which make a person feel light hearted and more happy than usual. So, if you are really sad, try doing inversions! It might make you feel a lot better! This is said to control depression, premenstrual symptoms and mood swings.

Enhancing Immunity

Inversions increase the ability of a person’s body to fight with diseases. Since it cleans the blood, an overall healthy feeling is maintained.

Countering Insomnia

Inversions also help to decrease insomnia. When your mind is all relaxed and in high spirits because of the healthy blood flow, a person will be able to sleep better. When inverting, muscle tension decreases by 35%. This is one of the reasons why a person can sleep better after inverting.

Look Beautiful and Feel Beautiful

This is an amazing benefit of inversions. Inversions can actually make you beautiful. When a person’s posture is improved through inversion, it shows grace, poise and sophistication. Good circulation will automatically bring brightness to the skin making the person look younger than he/she originally is. Acne and other skin conditions will also tend to decrease with performing inversions.

Flexibility

Inversion makes the body flexible and adaptable to changes. A flexible body remains healthy and strong even when it reaches old age.

Maintaining Proper Posture

For athletes or workers who perform lots of physical work, inversion is the best to keep the spine in proper posture. It will also reduce tardiness and will gain back your strength after a workout. Inversion therapy works wonders for the lower back pain caused by this physical work. It also helps reduce muscle pain.

Stress Therapy

Inversion is an amazing therapy to counter stress. When a person is under a lot of stress, his body tends to revolt by back pains, headaches and joint muscle pains. Physiotherapist LJ Nosse did a study titled ‘Inverted Spinal Traction’ published in Arch Phys. Medical Rehab 59: 367-370, Aug 78. The study confirmed that inverting decreased muscle tension by over 35% within the first 10 sec! When muscle pain is gone, stress reduces. As a result, the person feels lighter and happier, ready to face the challenges in life. Inversions carry immense benefits. Even when you do it the first time, the psychological feeling of turning your body against its natural position will be enough to lift you up both physically and mentally.

Maintaining Height

A lot of people will shrink over time as their old age approaches. Inversion can help stop that and retain your original height.

Strengthening Bones

Inversion helps to make ligaments strong which are one of the basic elements of your bones. Ligaments hold your bones together. When they’re strong, you will often be saved from a bone breaking accident.

Join us at Trilogy Sanctuary for our Aerial Yoga classes - plenty of opportunities to practice your inversion therapy!!!